Notice: The Formal Garden car park road is currently closed to all vehicles. This route is still available to pedestrians. Please ask the shuttle bus driver to take you to the nearest drop off point - there is then a 360 yard steep uphill walk.

Extraordinary Victorian house, gardens and woodland - the wonder of its age

Enter the world of Lord Armstrong - Victorian inventor, innovator and landscape genius. Cragside house was truly a wonder of its age.

Discover the first house in the world to be lit by hydroelectricity. It is crammed full of ingenious gadgets – most of them still working. The gardens are incredible. One of the largest rock gardens in Europe leads down to the Iron Bridge, which in turn leads to the formal garden. Children will love our adventure play area and exploring Nelly's Labyrinth, a network of paths and tunnels cut out of a vast area of rhododendron forest.

Events and Activities

We have lots of fun events planned this year to keep you busy, from Easter egg hunting to Victorian costume dressing. There is also a variety of activities that you can get up to while you are visiting Cragside.

Victorian baking

Imagine visiting Cragside to be greeted by the smell of baking as you step through the door. Our volunteer cooks will be in costume recreating authentic Victorian recipes on the recently restored range in our magnificent kitchen.Free, normal admission charges apply, subject to volunteer availability.

Hydropower back at Cragside

Local Geordie actor Robson Green officially switched on the Archimedes screw, relighting Cragside House just as Lord Armstrong did back in 1878. Cragside House was the first house in the world to use hydroelectricity and with the introduction of this modern hydro system, a 17 metre long galvanised turbine weighing several tonnes, it will produce enough energy to light the bulbs in the house, and enable Cragside to re-tell the story for which it is famous.

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Ever wondered what goes on behind the scenes at Cragside? Follow our blogs and discover fascinating facts and exclusive updates about our conservation work and collections inside Cragside House and pick up some gardening top tips by following our Garden blog.